


What if's

by PaperGoblin



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27113696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperGoblin/pseuds/PaperGoblin
Summary: Small snippets of what could have been if things had gone differently, focused on Johnny and RobbyChapter 1 - what if the medic needed parental consent to treat RobbyChapter 2 - what if robby was there to give johnny that test driveChapter 3 - what if johnny paid robby a visit at larusso's
Comments: 18
Kudos: 66





	1. 1x10 What if: the medic needed parental consent to treat Robby

**Author's Note:**

> yall in my rough draft i kept typing daniel lawrusso, what have you done to me??????
> 
> i have no idea how medical consent works, just pretend.

Johnny PoV

* * *

Hawk kicked Robby. 

Hawk kicked his son in the back.

His **son**. 

Hawk kicked his son.

"Get the hell away from me!" Robby snaps.

"Hey, back on your side." The referee's hands pull him away from his son. His **son**. His **Robby**. Lying on the mats in pain, and Johnny can't make sure he's okay.

Hawk's smiling. Robby is hurt and he's smiling. Smiling like he wants praise for kicking his opponent while his back was turned. Red-hot anger floods his body.

"What the hell are you thinking man?" Fighting dirty. Throwing away his spot in the finals. Injuring his kid.

"What was I supposed to do, be a pussy?" Johnny stops in his tracks. This is what he'd been teaching them. Strike first. Don't be a pussy. No mercy. And they'd taken it to heart. 

The referee is helping Robby to his feet now. That should be him. He should be there for his son. **Needs** to be there. The anger, the shame, the **heartbreak** cuts him to the core. _What have I done?_

And as Robby is led to the side, Johnny barely hears the announcement that his boy is in the finals, to fight Miguel next.

Johnny watches his son till he's led out of sight.

Robby PoV

* * *

Robby sits alone in the locker room, gi open to expose his injured shoulder while he desperately tries to massage feeling back into it. Mr LaRusso hates him, his dad replaced him, even his mom has somewhere better to be than here. He can't help but think of those lonely nights in that apartment - dad skipping out on them, mom drinking or getting fucked somewhere. Him, abandoned, eating a pizza meant for two.

And now the same, in this locker room. Alone. Abandoned. Left to lick his own wounds.

"You remembered to focus."

Just like that, Mr. LaRusso is back in his life again. With his kind words, that knowing smile. Robby sits there, drinking in his words like gospel. 

His father isn't a monster. He's human, and he was taught wrong. It's not his fault. And the biggest weight off Robby's shoulders - he doesn't have to end up like him. He won't become his father. And that he doesn't have to give up his anger, no one can completely, just find the good to balance it out. Mr. LaRusso will keep teaching him, and he'll keep learning. 

"You let go of all that anger and I guarantee you - no matter what happens tonight, you go home feeling great.

Robby smiles. He wants nothing more than to go out and finish the fight. To make Mr. LaRusso proud. To forgive his dad. To forgive Miguel... he doesn't need a life-long karate rivalry like his father. He can let go. He can be better. And besides, Miguel isn't guilty of any sin. He didn't steal Robby's father from him. He just needed a teacher of his own.

But a twinge of pain reminds him- he's not in any condition to fight. Not with his arm like this.

"Yeah, I don't know about that. My shoulder's killing me. I don't think I can fight."

"Well, we'll see about that." Mr. LaRusso stands and calls for a medic. But there's a small caveat.

"We need parental consent to treat him."

"Didn't his mom sign a consent form for him to compete?"

"That only covers basic cuts and bruises. Setting a dislocation is more serious."

"Okay, what... what about verbal? We can call his mother and-"

"She won't answer." Robby interrupts. "Never does." It's a sad reality but it's the truth. He loves his mother more than anything, but she's not exactly parent of the year. "Go find my dad, please." He looks down, almost ashamed. He can forgive his father, maybe, but that doesn't mean he's ready for his dad to see him like this. Vulnerable.

"You sure?" Robby nods his answer. "Alright then, I'll go get him." And with that, Mr. LaRusso leaves him with the medic.

Johnny Pov

* * *

Johnny is trying so hard to seem calm and collected in front of his students. A storm of emotions tosses inside of him. Sure he's proud of the kids for making it so far; seeing their growth, how far they've come. But they also worry him. Aisha, furious after losing to the former champion, Hawk's fowl play (haha bird puns) and Miguel'd been glaring at Robby an awful lot - there must be some bad blood between them. Robby... How badly has he failed that kid?

To make things even better, here comes LaRusso making a bee-line towards him. _Oh shit._

"What the fuck do you want?" Bastard. Who does he think he is; teaching his son? Daniel sighs and shakes his head.

"Robby's shoulder is dislocated. They need your permission to set it." Johnny glances around at his students. Fortunately none seem to have heard. Good. He doesn't need them to know Robby's his son, especially not Hawk and Miguel.

"Alright I'll be right there." He brushes past LaRusso, heading to the locker room.

There's Robby - shirtless, with the medic palpating his shoulder. He takes a moment just to look at his son. It'd been too long since he's seen him without them snapping at each other. Stupid haircut tied back. Punk clothes gone. Muscular. Wait, when the fuck did he get abs? Shitty hair aside, his boy could be a total chick magnet. Must have gotten it from him, right?

"Dad?" Robby spots him lurking. The medic turns to him.

"Mr. Keene, I have the forms right here if you-"

"Lawrence. Keene is his mother's name." Just another reminder he's not in their lives anymore. He wishes it were Robby Lawrence, or even Robby Lawrence-Keene. Robby's looking away from him now, unable to meet his gaze.

"Mr. Lawrence," the medic corrects herself, "your son has a slight anterior dislocation." _The fuck does that mean._ His face must say as much. "His bone is out of the socket." She explains. "I can pop it back in place if you'll just sign the forms here." She gestures to a clipboard and pen sitting on the bench. He scribbles down his name.

"Will it hurt?" His boy has already suffered enough.

"Briefly," she turns back to Robby, "you'll feel it for a few weeks, but after that you'll be fine."

"Can I still compete?" That's his boy, still wants to fight.

"I wouldn't recommend it in case of reinjury, but it's up to you."

Robby nods.

"Okay." She braces her hand on his shoulder and grabs his arm with the other. "Ready?" He watches his son tense up.

"Wait!" Johnny stops her. He won't let Robby do this alone, not when he can be there. Moving without thinking, he sits next to Robby on the bench, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Okay."

"On three." The medic tells Robby. "One." _Snap._ Robby's hand tightens in his. Damn he's got a strong grip. Then it loosens and he pulls it away. "That should do it, I'll let the judges know you'll be continuing." She places an icepack against Robby's shoulder and has him hold it there.

"Robby." Finally, those sad puppy eyes meet his. "I just want to say..." _I want to be a part of your life again. Come live with me. Forgive me._ Robby's eyes flick back and forth, waiting for the answer. Johnny swallows down all those words he wants to say. "Whatever happens out there, I'm proud of you."

He waits.

And waits.

And waits an eternity. Till...

"Thanks dad."


	2. 1x09 What if: Robby was there to give Johnny that test drive?

It'd started out as a usual day for Robby. Get up. Put out some painkillers and water for his mom, make sure the blinds were closed. Quick exercise and shower. Bowl of cereal for breakfast. Out of the door before Shannon even wakes up, which isn't hard, she tends to sleep past 11. Bus to work.

As far as jobs go, he's lucky. Rather than flipping burgers or getting screamed at in retail for minimum wage, he gets to trim bonsai, arrange coffee cups, and staple paperwork for a living all while learning karate from his boss. Perfect, right?

Except here he is, face to face with his deadbeat dad, being asked to take him out for a test drive. 

"I take it you know each other?" Sheila looks back and forth between them, Robby frozen in place and Johnny practically shaking. It's not her fault, she was just following Mr. LaRusso's orders.

"Yeah. Robby's my son. Didn't even know he works here."

"Is this going to be a problem?" Sheila asks Robby now, turning him away from his father. "I can call Daniel and-"

"No!" He interrupts, not ready for LaRusso to know his secret. "I got this." Sheila looks over her shoulder at Johnny, busy kicking tires.

"Daniel doesn't know, does he?" Robby shakes his head. "I won't be the one to tell him then. But he deserves to know, okay?"

"Thank you." He means it with all his heart. It would break Mr. LaRusso if he found out this way. Sheila pats him on the shoulder and places the keys in his hand. Without looking at his dad, he unlocks the Challenger and climbs in the passenger seat.

* * *

  
They're well on the road when Johnny finally breaks the silence.

"LaRusso Auto's huh? You know?" Robby pretends to flick through the owners manual.

"That you and him hate each other after he kicked your ass, sorry, face in high school? Yeah. That's why I took the job. Now I'm part of the La-Ru-So Fam-i-Ly." He says that part like he's an alien learning some foreign language. "Got my name on a shirt and everything, see?" He let's venom infect his words. He leans his head against the window, watching stop signs and cars pass.

"Look, Robby." Johnny sighs. "Your mom and I had our differences, but that doesn't mean I don't love you or want to be part of your life."

"What, your replacement son give up on you so you're crawling back to me?" He turns so he can watch the statement dawn on his father's face. Johnny swerves the car to the side of the road and parks.

"You mean Miguel?" His voice sounds so quiet, almost broken. "Robby I'm not replacing you! Miguel just needed a-"

"Dad?" Robby practically spits the word. "I saw you hugging in the parking lot. I was actually going to give you a chance. Mom said you asked me to move in, and I saw your dojo's website. I went there to talk to you when I saw you together. You don't love me. You just feel guilty." He reaches for the door handle when he hears the lock click. "Let. Me. Out."

"No Robby." His dad is nearly sideways in the driver's seat so he can face him. "We're not doing this insult thing. We're going to have a real conversation."

"You can. But I'm done talking."

"Fine. Fine." Johnny mutters, swinging the car back out into traffic.

* * *

  
It's nearing midday when Johnny takes them up on the highway so he can bring the car up to speed. He'd delighted in finding a soft rock station he could lip-sync to while stealing small glances at his son. Robby was ignoring him, choosing to stare out the window at the clouds. The seats really were comfy. The sun had warmed the car to a comfortable degree, and made those hypnotic hazes on the pavement. The Challenger's engine was surprisingly quiet, almost purring. Without meaning to, Robby lets his eyes droop. Until Johnny chuckles and his eyes snap open.

"What."

"Some things never change." Johnny takes a brief look over. "You used to have a lot of trouble sleeping as a kid, so I'd set you in the back of the Firebird and just drive. You'd be out in minutes." There's a small smile turning up the corners of his father's lips.

"I don't remember any of that."

"Yeah you were pretty young, I don't blame you. Then I'd carry you back inside and tuck you in bed. You'd wear one of my Metallica shirts as pajamas. Lot of memories in that car." Johnny drums his thumbs on the wheel. "Always thought I'd teach you how to drive in it."

There's an unspoken agreement between them that there's a lot Johnny should have been there to teach him. How to shave. How to change a tire. How to shotgun a beer. Normal father-son stuff. Both of them feeling robbed of those experiences. To teach and to be taught. Johnny reaches over and shuts the radio off.

"My mom died just before you were born." He says softly. "She was the only family I ever knew, and it broke me." Robby can hear the emotion breaking in his voice. "When you were born, I was across the street, hungover, too afraid to walk over and welcome you. I... I knew I was always going to fail you, and I could never make up for it."

"You never tried." 

"I know, Robby, I know." Tears start to well in his father's eyes, threatening to spill over. "There's a lot of things I should have done differently. I can't change the past. But I'm here now. And I do care about you, more than you'll ever know. I. I want to see you become a better man than I was. Because I love you."

Robby can't deny the truth, the heartbreak in Johnny's voice. Yeah, maybe his dad wasn't there to see his first goal in a soccer game. Wasn't there to teach him to drive. Didn't give him his first drink, or help him get over his fist breakup. But for a moment, he can imagine a future.

His dad cheering him on in the All Valley Tournament. Watching him graduate. Helping him pick out a college or his first car. He could have that. With a word, he could have a dad for once. A dad who loves him, a dad who will be there for him no matter what. All that if he just gave him a chance.

"Hey dad?" 

"Hmmm?" Johnny doesn't take his eyes from the road.

"Maybe... we could have dinner tonight? Mom's going out, it could just be us." Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say... He searches his father's face for the answer. Johnny looks over and smiles.

"Yeah, I'd like that. I know a good burger joint. Pick you up around 6?"

"You don't have a car." Robby reminds him. That's why they were here, wasn't it? The test drive.

"Nah, I'm definitely getting this one." Johnny pats the dashboard. "Time for some new memories right?" And with that, he cranks the radio up and revs the engine, speeding them off towards the dealership.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any ideas for "What if's" you want to see in the future, let me know in the comments


	3. 2x05 What if: Johnny paid Robby a visit at LaRusso’s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny actually goes looking for Robby when he learns he moved in at LaRusso's

Johnny has no idea why Kreese is so invested in the idea of Robby joining Cobra Kai. As much as he hates to admit it, it’s probably for the better that his kid was Miyagi-Do. Hawk and Miguel still have some animosity towards Robby, and honestly he doesn’t want Kreese to sink his claws into his son. He wants to believe that his old sensei had changed, but there was still the chance that he’d try to indoctrinate Robby with that ‘Strike First, No Mercy’ bullshit. Robby was a good kid. Johnny won’t let Kreese turn him into a bully.

Nevertheless, he’s right about one thing: he needs to see his son. If he ever hopes to be his dad again, there needs to be an effort made. Robby won’t magically forgive him. He has to take the initiative, right?

So here he is, at Shannon and Robby’s apartment building, summoning the courage to walk up those stairs. It’s just stairs. Right foot, left foot. Knock on the door. See his son for the first time since that stunt at valley fest. No point delaying it anymore. Johnny reaches into the back seat and grabs the skateboard he bought on the way.

Yeah, his kid was always a skater. Little adrenaline junkie ever since he was a kid. Shannon hated it at first, and fussed over Robby like a mother hen every time he bumped his chin or scraped his leg. Johnny was more of the “just rub some dirt in it,” kind of father. Maybe if he’d done more back then, his son wouldn’t hate him so much.

He rounds the corner. Just a few more steps and he can apologize to Robby. Try and make it up to him. Give him the skateboard and show him he cares. An orange eviction notice stops him short. Wrong apartment? That has to be it. He’s just remembering the wrong number. But no, the big 3 on the door disproves his hope. This is, was, Shannon and Robby’s place.

He pounds on the door, tries the handle, no response. He asks the lady leaving apartment 4, no response. He calls Shannon’s number. No response.

Robby’s gone.

* * *

He’s absolutely fuming by the time he gets to the fourth branch of LaRusso autos. He knows his kid works at one of them, but no one’s been giving him the right answer to his question - where is his son? This branch is the only one with a Daniel LaRusso reserved spot, so he must finally be in the right place. Just for extra spite, he pulls into the man’s parking space.

Daniel isn’t there when he marches into the dealership, unfortunately. Though at least he recognizes the salesman that greets him with the customary ‘Afternoon, welcome to LaRusso North Hollywood.’

“Where’s Robby?” Johnny cuts him off before he can launch into a sales pitch. 

“Oh wait a minute, it’s you. You know I almost died up on that billboard ‘cause of the shit you pulled? You owe me a new pair of Oxfords pal.” Were he in a better mood, that was the perfect setup for a good joke. But he came here for answers and he’s going to get them one way or another.

“Look man, I’m not in the mood.” That’s the only warning he’ll give him. “I’ve been to three of these damn LaRusso dealerships already.” He stares the sales clerk directly in the eyes. “They said Robby’s been working here. Just tell me where he is.”

“Mmmmm, _sorry_ , I can’t do that.” Wrong answer pal. “Look, I know you and Daniel have beef. He kicked your ass in high school.” Worse answer. “You’ve been stewing, but i got enough crap to deal with without getting involved in your little karate soap-opera so.”

Okay, that’s the last straw. Johnny knows there's only one way to get the information he needs from this guy. So when he waves his hands in his face, Johnny grabs one and twists it behind his back, slamming him into a nearby car. He pins him in such a way that he can’t escape without severely injuring himself.

“Ok! Ok! Ok! Now you put your hands on me,” the man squeals, “This is not a dojo, this is the real world.” All eyes are on him now, but he’s not leaving just yet. “You don’t just throw people around. This is a place of business.” Johnny decides to show him he _does_ mean business so he slams a fist into his kidney to shut him up.

“Where’s Robby!”

“Jesus Christ.” Now he’s getting somewhere. “I don’t know, he’s not here! Probably Daniel’s house, he moved in!” _Oh._ In an instant, Johnny’s world shatters.

“He lives with the LaRusso’s?” He says, almost to himself. He lets the clerk up, trying to process what he just heard. His son got evicted, and he moves in with LaRusso? Did he even consider his dad? Or did Daniel snatch him up immediately. He can picture it in his mind: Robby sitting around a dining table eating food with someone else's family. Sleeping in someone else’s bed. Feeling safe and welcome in someplace that isn’t Johnny’s home.

He needs a beer. Or several. Maybe something even stronger.

* * *

It was hell after that. Even though Carmen urged him to let go and be the bigger man, all he wanted was to go punch LaRusso square in the jaw. He nearly did when said asshole barged into his dojo, disregarding all respect for the place. Though he understood the man’s frustration when he found out some of his students trashed Miyagi-Do and stole a medal of honor. He thought he’d settled it by leaving Kreese to suss out the culprit.

Then… Tommy. Tommy passed. He barely had any time to get through the grief of losing a friend. And when all he wants to do is mourn and move on, he finds out Kreese had been corrupting his students. Making them vicious, merciless. Undoing all that Johnny’d been trying to teach them. 

Robby was right to move in with LaRusso. Johnny’s life was chaos, confusion. Robby would never accept Cobra Kai like it is now. The kid needed, deserved, stability. Safety. Family. Routine. All of that, and he could start to heal. Find peace. And Johnny realized he needed it too before he could ask Robby to move in. Still, he wanted to see Robby so badly it was crushing him.

So despite all his reservations, he found himself at LaRusso’s place, skateboard in hand. 

“Johnny?” Daniel stands in the doorway, a barrier blocking him from finding Robby.

“LaRusso. Figured I’d use the door this time.” He says, sheepishly. A student's actions are the responsibility of the teacher, he still feels guilty for his kids trashing Miyagi-Do.

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here after-”

“Look, I’m sorry for what my students did,” he interrupts. He won’t let LaRusso steer the conversation away from why he’s here. “Kreese was a bad influence on them, he’s gone now. I just want to see my son.” He shouldn’t have to ask for permission. He shouldn’t. He-

“Robby’s in the guest house. I’ll show you.” Okay unexpected. He was ready for ‘Robby never wants to see you again, run back to your little cobras’ or something along those lines. Maybe Robby wanted to see him too?

* * *

Robby’s lying on the bed, nose deep in _A History of Okinawa_ when Johnny enters, not even looking up. Johnny clears his throat to get his attention.

“Dad?” He marks his page and closes the book. What are you doing here?”

“Came to see you. Thought we could talk.” He leans the skateboard against the bed and sits down next to his son. It saddens him to see Robby tense up, body language shifting towards defense. Skittish, like a cornered cat ready to bolt. “Looked for you at your place a while ago, saw the eviction notice. What happened?” Robby looks down at his lap, tracing the lettering on his book’s cover with a finger.

“Mom went to Mexico with her boyfriend. Said he took care of the bills and rent, but the power got shut off a few days later. I told Sam, she told her dad, next thing I know I have a guest house to myself and milk to put in my cereal.” 

Johnny’s furious. He knew Shannon was irresponsible and prone to running off, but how could she abandon her son like that for so long. How long was Robby living in the dark, running out of food, waiting for his mom to come home. And she accused him of walking out on Robby, the nerve. This wasn’t just leaving Robby alone to skim for free meals, this was borderline neglect.

“You…” Johnny swallows all his fears of hatred and rejection, “you could have stayed with me. I have a bedroom for you.” He’d bought a two-bedroom for that reason - so Robby would always have a place with him.

_You don’t know how to take care of a kid. Your diet is hot pockets and Coors. It’s a terrible apartment complex. Trash and piss everywhere. You can spit with more force than the water pressure. Why would Robby ever want to move in after living in luxury at LaRusso’s? This was a bad idea._

“I didn’t want to bother anyone. Thought I could live on my own. I tried.” 

“Robby.” He reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder, wanting to make sure he understands. “I will _always_ be there for you when you need me. You’ll always have a home with me if you need it.”

Robby doesn’t respond. He can understand why he’s still hesitant. It might be too late for them. No matter how much Johnny wants to show his son he loves him, it’s ultimately Robby’s decision.

“It doesn’t have to be one or the other you know.” Daniel says from the door, causing both of them to jump. Sneaky bastard. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Came to tell you the pizzas here. Johnny, there’s enough for you too if you want to join us.” Then he moves to sit on the other side of Robby. “You don’t have to choose between your dad and me. You’re always welcome to come and go as you please. And besides I… I should have asked Johnny if you could stay here. I never did, I’m sorry.”

Anger spreads through Johnny’s body, starting from the center of his chest spreading out to his face and fingertips, flushing with rage. His hand clenches into a fist, ready to punch LaRusso like he wanted to do that day he came into the dojo. But he doesn’t strike. Miguel was right, some issues needed _delicacy._ He needed to be smart about this. He can’t go ape shit on Daniel with Robby there, not when he’s asking him to move in.

“I went looking for you, and I found you with Kreese. I didn’t want him anywhere near Robby, not after what he did to the both of us.” LaRusso isn’t breaking eye contact with Johnny. He can tell he desperately wants him to understand. “And… yeah, part of it was selfish. Robby,” Daniel turns from him to look at his son, “you’re a good kid, and I like having you as part of the family. But it was selfish of me to keep you from your _real_ family.”

Robby, poor Robby looks so _torn._ A father that was never there for him, or a mentor that treated him like family. Johnny knows who he’d choose in that situation. He would never stay with Sid if someone like LaRusso was offering a home. So, the only thing he can do is show Robby he supports whatever he decides. He gives him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

“If you want to stay with LaRusso, I’m fine with that. I’m sure you’re happier here.” Daniel places his hand on his kid’s other arm.

“And if you want to be with your dad, I can accept that. I’d give anything to be with mine again.” 

Then it hits him. Daniel lost his father too. Daniel found a father and mentor in Miyagi, just like he found one in Kreese. Daniel now _was_ that father and mentor for Robby. In that moment, Johnny knows who Robby will pick.

“Can I,” Johnny holds his breath, Daniel probably does too, “can I move between you both? A couple days with Dad, couple days with Mr. LaRusso?” Robby looks between them. Johnny can’t believe it so much he almost forgets to breathe again.

“Sure thing kid, we can talk about it over dinner. Johnny?” He has to focus so hard to keep his emotions in check.

“Yeah. Yeah that sounds _great_ .” It really does. What he thought was a long shot actually paid off. Robby would stay with him, at least for a few days. “Let’s _Divource Court_ this shit.”

“Come on, we shouldn’t keep everyone waiting long or Anthony will eat it all and leave us crumbs.” Daniel gets to his feet, and Johnny’s relieved to hear he’s not the only one who’s joints snap like that. Good. Mr. Perfect still feels the effects of aging like the rest of us humans. 

“You okay there grandpa?” Johnny teases, also standing. _Pop._ One of his knees shifts into place. Daniel smirks. Dammit, perfect execution, ruined by old man knees.

“God, it’s like that fight scene in _Up._ ” Robby gets up without his bones complaining. Show off. He moves between them and out the door. Johnny and Daniel take a moment to stare at each other, each daring the other to say something. Fine, he’ll be the bigger man and won’t start anything.

“Got any Coors?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to write how this episode should have gone differently. Shoutout to LLcoco28 for requesting it!


End file.
